Besides his home cities of Vienna and Berlin, the great Herbert von Karajan, more than anywhere else, performed at La Scala in Milan where, from 1940 to 1971, he led the Milanese orchestra and artists in 42 concerts and as many as 16 operas.

One of the most memorable opera performances is this 1955 production of Carmen, for which the Maestro was both conductor and director. The cast included Giulietta Simionato at the height of her career and Giuseppe Di Stefano who was well on his way to success.

Director: Herbert von Karajan

The Book (132 pages):
- The Original Programme
- Introduction by Enrico Girardi
- The Opera on Stage: History of the Staging
- The Story in Pictures: Images from the La Scala Theatre Archive
- The Opera libretto